May11, 2011

Washington D.C. –House Armed Services Committee Democrats
will offer two amendments at today’s markup designed to slash wasteful funding
and increase funding for National Guard and Reserve equipment. The amendments,
offered by Reps. Loretta Sanchez and Cooper, would provide nearly $164 million
in additional funding to support the National Guard and Reserves. The funding
would be redirected from programs that have a history of underperforming or the
military has said it does not need.

“Funding
for National Guard and Reserve Equipment is
critical to defend our
homeland,” said Loretta Sanchez, the Ranking Member on the House Armed
Services Committee Subcommittee on Strategic Forces.
“As we have seen with the recent devastating storms and flooding across the
country, States
must have the ability to respond to natural disasters or terrorist attacks at
home. In order to maintain this ability, we must support our National Guard and
Reserve forces and provide them with the funding to recruit new members and
replenish equipment shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan.”

“While funding for the Ground Missile Defense
system is important, the amount of money we have thus far allocated to Missile
Defense in the President’s budget request is adequate,” continued Sanchez.
The Missile Defense
Agency has clearly stated that they do not need this additional $100 million in
funding. Let’s instead put this money where it’s needed and give the
National Guard the resources required for them to effectively respond to
domestic emergencies.”

“The F-35B Joint
Strike Fighter has a long history of delays and development problems, and was
recently put on ‘probation’ by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates,” said
Congressman Jim Cooper. “My amendment cuts just two out of thirty-two F-35
aircraft requested in 2012 and moves the funding to support critical National
Guard and Reserve equipment needs.”

Amendment 227
(Rep. Sanchez) – The Sanchez
amendment would allocate an additional $100 million for the
National Guard, taken from proposed funding for the Ground Missile Defense
system,
which the Missile Defense Agency has clearly stated it does not
need.

Amendment 164 (Rep. Cooper) –
The Cooper amendment
moves funding from the F-35B, a troubled program with a history of testing
problems, to fund a Navy unfunded requirement for Aircraft spare parts for $317
million, with the remaining $63.6 million going to the National Guard and Reserve
Equipment account.